Singapore ties with Germany on most powerful passport index

Singapore ties with Germany as the country with the most powerful passport in an international ranking for the first time.

Both Germany and Singapore now top the Global Passport Power Rank 2017, published by Arton Capital's Passport Index.

Photo courtesy: Connected to India

Holders of the Singapore passport can now get visa-on-arrival in Ukraine for up to 15 days. This upped Singapore's score by one to 159, Arton Capital said in a press release on Tuesday, April 18, 2017.

Previously, Singapore was in the second place, Straits Times reported on April 19.

Germany still has the edge for visa-free free travel - Germans can travel to 125 countries without a visa. Holders of the Singapore passport can travel to 122 countries without a visa.

Photo courtesy: germany.info

But Singapore beats Germany with a visa-on-arrival score of 37 to 34. This results in a tie. "Singaporeans can rejoice that their passport offers them first-class global mobility," said Arton Capital.

The Passport Index compares the passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories.

Singapore was fourth this year in the Visa Restrictions Index, another ranking of travel freedom which uses a different methodology to calculate how "powerful" a passport is.

Germany also topped the Visa Restrictions Index - it has visa-free access to 176 countries out of a possible 218. Singapore passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 173 countries.

Author

Kareyst Lin – Senior Writer

Kareyst has experience in writing about B2B technology for Computerworld Singapore, MIS Asia and CIO Asia; and on government technology for GCIO Asia. Her pet areas are artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and smart cities - these are fueled by her obsession with sci-fi movies and philosophy of mind. An active Yoga practioner and cat lover, with a background in Indian philosophy, subaltern and diaspora studies.

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